School Profile
Handsworth Wood Girls’ School is a popular, over-subscribed 11 – 19 school in Handsworth, with an annual intake of 130 girls. The school’s motto is “Aspiring for Excellence.” Our priority is to provide a high-class education where each child is able to develop her intellectual, physical, moral and spiritual skills to prepare her for a successful adult life. Our Visual and Performing Arts Specialist College is a very strong feature of the school, providing the girls with many opportunities to enrich their education through the wide range of arts programmes available in school and beyond. Currently there are 775 students on roll. The school has high expectations of both its staff and students. Its achievements and aspirations are:
ü In Summer 2011 55% of students gained 5+ A* - C grades at GCSE including English and Maths and 95% of students achieved 5+ A* - C grades at GCSE.
ü At A Level, 95% of the students passed their exams and 100% UCAS applications got a place to university.
ü Our student attendance rate is 92.1% and is improving.
ü The school was designated by Ofsted in January 2011 as a good school with outstanding features.
ü Specialist Visual and Performing Arts College since 2006.
ü The school gained ArtsMark Gold award for the third time June 2010.
ü Other accreditations include Investor in People, Customer Service Excellence, Quality Assurance Quality Mark and Leading Aspect Award.
ü The school has a well-established teacher training programme with the Titan SCITT partnership.
ü All departments have good access to ICT facilities including interactive whiteboards in the majority of classrooms.
ü We have excellent teachers and support staff who know their students well.
ü Our enthusiastic and well-behaved students aspire to achieve their best.
ü We have very supportive parents and Governors.
ü We are fully staffed with specialist teachers in all subject areas.
ü We are all insistent, consistent and persistent in our drive to improve our standards!
Handsworth Wood Girls’ School is “an effective school that continues to provide good-quality education to all of its students. At the heart of the good progress made by every girl … is good-quality teaching and effective learning across all subjects.” (Ofsted January 2011)
In KS3, the students are setted for English, Maths, Science and Technology. They are taught in bands according to their ability for History, Geography, ICT, French, Drama, Citizenship, R.E., Art, P.E., Music and PSE.
In KS4, all students are entered for GCSE examinations in English and Maths, and either GCSE or BTEC for Science. There is a range of other GCSE and BTEC subjects available to choose from in the option blocks.
The Sixth Form now has over 140 students currently in years 12, 13 and 14. We introduced a new Sixth Form curriculum in September 2011 with courses providing pathways to further and higher education. The school works in collaboration with local schools and colleges thus providing a wider range of opportunities Post-16.
There is a strong accent on teaching and learning, homework, marking and assessment. Support is offered to students with Special Educational Needs including those with English as an additional language, by using intensive one-to-one support and teaching assistants in the classroom.
“Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those at an early stage of learning to speak English, make outstanding progress.” (Ofsted January 2011)
The school’s Student Welfare structure is based on a year system with a Head of Student Progress and team of tutors looking after the students in each year group in KS3. A Student Support Manager works with each Head of Student Progress. For years 10 and 11, there is a Head of KS4 who is also supported by a Student Support Manager. Form groups are mixed ability. Great emphasis is placed upon the role of form tutors in caring for students’ general welfare. Discipline within the school is firm but fair with many visitors commenting on the purposeful working environment and positive demeanour of the students.
“ …outstanding care, guidance and support are responsible for the positive learning ethos evident in the attitudes of girls in lessons.” (Ofsted Jan 2011)
We offer a wide range of strategies to support students and therefore have a very low exclusion rate.
“Safeguarding procedures are exemplary.” (Ofsted January 2011)
We place great emphasis on enrichment activities to support the curriculum and the social and intellectual development of our students. A wide range of opportunities are available throughout the year, including trips within the UK and abroad, residential visits and external visitors working with the students. Our Visual and Performing Arts specialism provides an extensive range of experiences in the arts and is a real strength of the school.
The school has been designated as an Investor in People organisation since 1997 and places great emphasis on its staff development programme. As part of the Titan Partnership, the school regularly trains teachers on the GTP and PGCE programmes, as well as providing other professional development opportunities for all staff.
“The school itself is very inclusive and welcoming to all backgrounds, it knows its local community well and serves their demand for an effective all-girls school well.” (Ofsted January 2011)
We are not complacent at Handsworth Wood Girls’ School. Improvement is always possible. We have one clear aim in mind: to “Aspire for Excellence” so that every student achieves success in her education and in her examinations, thus preparing herself for a happy adult life with choice about her future.